Why Removing Screens From Fitness Trackers Made Them 88% More Popular: ‘If It Has a Screen, It’s a Watch’
Companies like Whoop are betting billions that consumers want less tech, not more— and the strategy is paying off in a massive way.
No screen, no problem. That’s the bet $10 billion brands like Whoop, Oura and Fitbit are making, as sales for screenless fitness trackers surged 88% between 2024 and 2025.
Whoop raised $575 million in March while smart ring maker Oura pulled in over $900 million, both now valued north of $10 billion. The market got so hot that Google just launched its own screenless tracker—the ships May 26.
Apple Watch still dominates the wearables market, but the others aren’t trying to compete head-on. Instead, they’re differentiating by removing the one feature everyone assumed was essential. No screen means weeks of battery life instead of daily charging, enabling the 24/7 health monitoring these brands are betting on. It’s also a style consideration. “If it has a screen, then it’s a watch,” Whoop CEO Will Ahmed told . “If it’s a watch, then you can’t wear two watches.”
No screen, no problem. That’s the bet $10 billion brands like Whoop, Oura and Fitbit are making, as sales for screenless fitness trackers surged 88% between 2024 and 2025.
Whoop raised $575 million in March while smart ring maker Oura pulled in over $900 million, both now valued north of $10 billion. The market got so hot that Google just launched its own screenless tracker—the ships May 26.
Apple Watch still dominates the wearables market, but the others aren’t trying to compete head-on. Instead, they’re differentiating by removing the one feature everyone assumed was essential. No screen means weeks of battery life instead of daily charging, enabling the 24/7 health monitoring these brands are betting on. It’s also a style consideration. “If it has a screen, then it’s a watch,” Whoop CEO Will Ahmed told . “If it’s a watch, then you can’t wear two watches.”
